Avet MXJ star drag reel

[CooldadE]

Has anyone pre ordered an Avet MXJ star drag reel ? They should be available real soon. I have interest but am always leery about first run products... I suspect they have done a ton of R+D before making it available to the public. I'm more than interested but will wait till I hear some reviews... I'm really interested what the innards are like...

Cool

[jurelometer]

No schematic on the Avet web site.

The specs leave the max drag column conspicuously blank.

Line class 12-50 lbs (600+yards!).  Sorta strange.

There is not that much to be done to improve the basic  star drag design, which has some inherent design flaws once you try to bump up the maximum drag, especially in a small form factor.

Then there are features that are in high demand that actually limit the maximum drag and reliability (e.g., roller clutch AKA one-way bearing).  So the reel makers are including these features as well in newer models, which make it tougher to make a reel that performs better.

While there are not many ways to improve on the basic star drag design, there are a million ways to screw something up.  A reel is only as strong as its weakest link. It is tough for even the most well intentioned reel maker to get everything right.  IMHO the best star drag reel model to buy is the one that has earned a reputation after a few years.

There is no reason not to buy one if you have some money burning a hole in your pocket, or if you enjoy being the first on the block to try out the latest reel.  None of this sportfishing thing is an exercise in monetary efficiency.   

But it is probably a bit early to be shelling out  $300 USD if you want to ensure that you are getting value for your money.

My opinion...

-J.

[CooldadE]

I found spec sheets on a couple of retailers websites and it looks like max drag on these reels is 20#...

Cool

[jurelometer]

I found spec sheets on a couple of retailers websites and it looks like max drag on these reels is 20#...

Cool

Not at the Avet site though.  There is a spot for it, but they left blank.  Been that way for months.

Maybe I am being a bit too suspicious, but why don't they include 65  lb braid in the line class? The point of having a star drag is castability, and 65lb braid is a favorite size for casting.  65 would be a more typical match for that reel in terms of capacity (maybe 400 yards or so?).

When you put a one way bearing on the handle shaft (only place it can go on a star drag),  the load on the bearing is multiplied by the gear ratio.  The load is also multiplied by the spool radius.  The standard sized one way bearings are often running close to or even over the spec ratings on these high gear ratio reels (one of the reasons for backup dogs),  and the Avet spool looks to have something around a one inch radius when fully loaded.

If the backup dog engages, it means that the rollers in the one way bearings did not hold.  In most cases, these bearings  hold by jamming the rollers against the shaft.  If the rollers are not holding, then you have metal scraping on metal.  The rollers will probably be hardened 440c stainless,   The shaft will probably be a softer 300 series stainless.

One way bearings won't hold up to the specs if they are not kept clean and dry,  and 440c is not that saltwater resistant.   I would bet that in most cases, after a bit of use,  the holding power of the bearings goes downhill.

I am not picking on Avet.  I like their simple design and reasonable price point in their basic lever drag models.  Maybe they will become the first to figure it out a decent modern star drag that people will still buy.

We have kind of put the reel makers in a bind by demanding silent, instant anti-reverse (one way bearings), high gear ratios, and high drag settings in a a small form factor suitable for modern braid.   It seems to me that the newer reel models that have tried to address this demand have for the most part struggled.

-J

[CooldadE]

Has anyone here picked up and fished this reel? I'm wondering about it's real world performance ?

Cool

[akfish]

I got one in the shop for service, but I have not fished one. A couple quick impressions: It does have an ARB plus a mechanical dog back up. The anti-reverse seemed solid to me. It has **greased** carbon fiber drag washers. In the shop, the drag seemed smooth and strong. The free spool was excellent in my opinion. I'm suitably impressed but again, I did not fish it.

[CooldadE]

How will you set the reel up and what will you target when you fish it ?

Cool

[mike1010]

I posted the following last summer.  Have not fished the reel, but I expect it to be capable.  https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=25900.msg368064#msg368064

--Mike

[Gfish]

I got one in the shop for service, but I have not fished one. A couple quick impressions: It does have an ARB plus a mechanical dog back up. The anti-reverse seemed solid to me. It has **greased** carbon fiber drag washers. In the shop, the drag seemed smooth and strong. The free spool was excellent in my opinion. I'm suitably impressed but again, I did not fish it.

Is the AR system the same as that used in their lever-drag models?

[mike1010]

Is the AR system the same as that used in their lever-drag models?

It's got the same, patented AR dog setup, but also an "infinite" AR bearing as the primary mechanism.

[Gfish]

Thanks. I like that silent-friction AR system. I like the simplicity of Avet's. I've been tear-down/rebuilding an Accurate and just got it reassembled, spools knocking on somethin, back in I go...

[mike1010]

Reading comprehension!  I just noticed that this thread is about the MXJ star.  My earlier post was about the MXL star.  Sorry.  But I would give long odds that the MXJ star and MXL star are identical except for the parts that are proportional to the reel width (frame, spool, spool shaft).

Mike